Help with balance

[ATCReefer]

Iron is pretty high (I don't know if it is a problem, but it is certainly higher than it needs to be).

Are you dosing it? Or anything containing it?

Only thing I can think of was cheato gro but, have since stopped after I saw these results. I had. Magnet exposed about 7 months ago but previous ICP didn’t register high. Would the high iron cause cyano by a chance?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Only thing I can think of was cheato gro but, have since stopped after I saw these results. I had. Magnet exposed about 7 months ago but previous ICP didn’t register high. Would the high iron cause cyano by a chance?

I do not know what organisms (if any) benefit from iron that high, but overdosing chaetogro could cause it, but it might also be test error.

 

[ATCReefer]

I do not know what organisms (if any) benefit from iron that high, but overdosing chaetogro could cause it, but it might also be test error.

Either way I have since stopped adding

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Either way I have since stopped adding

If the iron does not eventually come down, Id look for another source of it.

 

[ATCReefer]

If the iron does not eventually come down, Id look for another source of it.

Thanks for the guidance

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You're welcome.

Happy Reefing.

 

[ATCReefer]

You're welcome.

Happy Reefing.

I have been keeping my parameters in the ranges I have posted but still seem to get cyano pretty bad right now and I can’t figure out what’s going on.
I can think of maybe the ab+ is possible causing it? But nutrients seem to be in range and I can’t figure it out.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I have been keeping my parameters in the ranges I have posted but still seem to get cyano pretty bad right now and I can’t figure out what’s going on.
I can think of maybe the ab+ is possible causing it? But nutrients seem to be in range and I can’t figure it out.

IMO, it's a mistake to think that any "perfect" level of N and P is going to prevent pests like cyano and algae.

My general advice for cyano is not a cure all, but here is some commentary from another thread.


While all pest "algae" need a source of nitrogen and phosphorus, cyanobacteria is very different in two respects because it is not an algae but a bacterium.

It can "feed" on organic matter (unlike algae) and it can actually generate its own N from N2 from the air, which nothing else in a reef aquarium can do. On the last point, however, it is not clear that the cyano in reef tank actually does fix its own nitrogen from N2, rather than consuming ammonia or nitrate the way green algae does.

But in general, organics can be a big driver of cyanobacteria, and reducing organics (skimming, GAC, organic binding resins, etc.) can help fight a cyano problem, as can reducing phosphate.

Increased flow and manual removal also helps.

In a last ditch effort, antibiotics such as erythromycin usually can wipe out cyano.